By: Jennifer Katz, Clinical Nutrition
It's day 17 of following your detox regimen and you are doing really well- absolutely no wheat, no soy, no dairy, no eggs, and of course, not an ounce of refined sugar for weeks!!!! Just as you praise yourself for your efforts, you find yourself out on a date for a gourmet meal and a surprise "must-have" key lime pie arrives at the table... or, a neighbor knocks at your door with some homemade cookies and is very excited for you to try her new recipe....Welcome to your reality and the world outside of the detox zone. This is a dilemma we all face with the challenge of maintaining a healthy balance without visiting unrealistic extremes. Following the "three polite bites" rule will help you maintain your healthy baseline while safely indulging in all the foods you love.
Every bite of food we put into our bodies affects our physiology to a degree. The quality of the food dictates the effect, whereas the quantity of the food consumed dictates the severity of the effect. For example, consuming French fries creates free radicals in the body, which cause cancer. One French fry or one hundred French fries will create the same free radicals, but the amounts of free radicals produced from one fry versus one hundred fries differ drastically. This is how threshold value plays a role. Every physical body maintains a unique internal biochemical environment (such as metabolic rate or blood sugar levels), which responds to and interacts with the external environment (such as food) in a different way. Each biochemical system maintains a threshold value, a point after which the effects of the environment are experienced, and the environmental stimulus has done damage. Again, eating one French fry may create free radicals, but it may take consuming fifty French fries to create a cancer. In this case, the threshold value for the effect of the French fry is thirty. By maintaining a healthy dietary baseline and indulging below threshold, we can avoid initiating and perpetuating the disease process. Though the cumulative effect of several small indulgences does add up and can wreak havoc in an otherwise healthy system, safe, occasional indulgence is not only allowed, but also condoned. So, what is "safe" indulgence, and how does one refrain from crossing the safety line into the danger zone? The "three polite bites" rule is best applied for this purpose.
Balance and moderation proves time and again to be the key to feeling grounded and in control, especially when it comes to dietary habits. It may seem extremely difficult to achieve this, but the "three polite bites" rule can provide homeostasis. Swearing off carbs for life is about as realistic as vowing to never skip a workout again- no matter our efforts and diligence to avoid "cheating", we will always be faced with scenarios that force us to make exceptions to our rules. Herein lies the importance of maintaining a clean baseline and carefully selecting times to indulge, planning for such events. Choose to have "three polite bites on three select nights", and plan these "bites" carefully. If on a given Monday, you plan a dinner with friends for the upcoming weekend, projecting an evening of celebration and indulgence, be sure to maintain as healthy a regimen as possible until the event- forego the cupcake at the staff meeting on Tuesday or the second glass of wine at your business dinner on Thursday, saving up for the extra margarita you may be inclined to consume when out that weekend.
Most of us overdo it when we venture on a "treatscapade" no matter our efforts. With a shift in mentality and ill-advised self talk such as "I've already cheated with a few bites of cake, so I might as well eat the whole brick-sized slice!", we lose control. Take the craving by the reigns by being conscious of your threshold, keeping in mind that having a few bites of cake may mildly spike insulin levels, but eating the whole piece takes a much more dramatic effect, damaging the metabolism.
Indulging in "foriddens" below the threshold level and using the "three polite bites on three select nights" rule can help you maintain a healthy, realistic regimen without feeling deprived. Enjoy and savor your three bites with time and care, but remember that the real treat lies in avoiding toxins and maintaining an eating plan that reverses aging, prevents disease and achieves optimal health. Eat, drink, indulge, and...be radiant!
This information is for educational purposes only, and is not intended to treat or diagnose any health condition.